Casting apparatus.



s. McFARLAN'D.

. CASTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. 19!].

Patented Jan. 7,1919.

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' FIG)? INVEDJTOR:

UNITED v s'rars SAMUEL MOFARLAND, F COATESVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA CASTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Jan. "I. was.

Application filed November 24, 1917. I Serial No. 203,842.

' Castin Apparatus, whereof the following is a speci cation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My improvement is particularly applicable to internal stoppers for bottom-pour ladles, such as areused forcasting steel. Ordinarily, such a stopper consists ofa head of refractory, and incidentally frangible, ma-

terial, such as raphitic cement, having a socket molded t ereinwith projecting portions, for instance, coarse screw threads, of such frangible material, fitted to directly dctachably engage a complementary stopper rod, by which said head may be raised and lowered, within the ladle, to open and close a nozzle outlet at the bottom of the ladle. The strain upon such frangible material incident to repeatedly reciprocating said rod, is such as to ultimately strip such threads from the stopper head and permit it to fall from the rod and thus permit the accidental escape ,ofthe molten steel, with consequent loss and damage.

It is an object of my inventionto so construct and arrange a stopper head of such frangible material that it is impossible to separate it from stresses to which the ordinary operation of the apparatus. To that end; I provide a stopper head molded of graphitic cement or other suitable refractory material with a metallic shank permanently and rigidly embedded therein, and, rovide such-shank with means to detachaiialy engage the stopper rod.

My invention includes the various novel features ofconstruction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawing; Figure I is an elevation of a stopper head and its appurtenances, convenient y embodying my improvement.

Fig. II is an elevation of'said structure shown in Fig. I; at right angles to that.

view.

Fig. IV is a perspective view of-a cast metal shank with a cross pin in unitary relation therewith.

the stopper rod by any it may be subjected during In said figures: the stopper head 1 is molded of nonmetallic refractory material, such as graphitic cement, and in rigid constoppcr shank 9 having, a cross pin 3 extending transversely through it, embedded in said head and having two wedge slots 4 1 and 5 extending through said shank at respectively different distances from said head. Although I have found it convenient to make such shanks of cut sections of wrought iron bars, and to form such pins separately therefrom and fit them together; it is to be understood that they may be otherwise formed, for instance, said shank may be a casting 6 with the cross pin in unitary relation therewith, as shown in Fig. IV.

The bifurcated coupling 7 is detachably fitted to said shank 2 and has two Wedge slots, 8 and 9, extending through its bifurcations 10, in registry with the slots d and 5 of'said shank. Said coupling also has the outwardly projecting flange 12 at its end adjacent said head 1-, and the socket 13 at its opposite end, with the wedge slot 15 extending transversely throughit. The stopper rod 16 has its reduced lower end I? detachably fitted to said socket 13, and has the wedge slot 18 extending transversely through it in registry with said slot 15 in said socket.

The wedges 20, 21 and 22 normally, ri idly connect said shank, coupling, and r0 in the coiiperative relation shown in the drawings.

As is well known to those skilled in this art; stopper rods for closures of this clats are usually 24 of graphitic cement, ganister or other refractory material. Said flange, 12, is conveniently provided n the coupling 7 aforesaid, to support the weight of such sheathing material independently of said head 1. Of course, the stopper god might be directly fittedv to the shank of the coupling above described. However, as such a rod is approximately twelve feet long, whenever its end adapted for engagement with 'the shank became damaged,-i t would be rovided with suitable sleeves ,nection with a substantially flat metallic v late the smaller bulk of the coupling aforesaid. Therefore, I prefer to employ such a coupling, merely for the purpose of facilitating repairs, and do not desire to limit myself to the specific details of construc- 'tlon thereof, which are not e'ssentialto the operation of my invention.

f course, such heads must be of different sizes and shapes, 'tofit the various patterns of ladle outlet nozzles. Moreover, it is to be understood that the shank, embedded in the stopper head, in accordance with my invention, may be shaped otherwise than as shown. For instance, it may be cylindrigreater degree than a cylindricalshank and,

, essential features of my invention as said shank, having consequently, is not so apt to be accidentally loosened and, second, it is better'adapted for engagement with a bifurcated rod, than if it were otherwise shaped.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement v herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from tlhe fified in the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper head, of nonmetallic refractory material, such as graphitic cement; of a substantially flat metallic stopper shank having a cross pin extending transversely through it, embedded in said head and having two wedge slots extending through said shank, at different distancesfrom said head; a bifurcated coupling, detachably fitted to two wedge slots extending through its bi urcations in registry withv the slots in said shank, an outwardly projecting flange atits end adjacent said head,

and a socket at'its opposite end with a wedge slot extending transversely through it; a stopper rod detachably fitted to said socket, having a wedge slot extending transversely through it in registry with the slot in said socket; and wedges in said slots, rigidly connecting said shank, coupling and rod./ 2. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper head, of refractory material; of a substantiallyflat metallic stopper shank having a cross pin embedded in said head and having two wedge slots extending through said shank, at different distancesfrom said head; a coupling, detachably fit ted to said shank, havin extending through its bifi n'cations in registry with the slots in said shank, an outwardly projecting flange at its end adjacent said head, and a socketat its oppositeend with a wedge slot extending transversely through it; a stopper rod detachably fitted ing transversely through it in registry with the slot in said socket; and wedges in said slots, rigidly connecting said shank, coupling, and rod.

3. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper head, of refractorymaterial; of a metallic stopper shank permanently embedded in said head and having two wedge slots extending through said shank, at different di tances from said head; a coupling, detachably fitted to said shank, hav-. ing two wedge slots extendingthrough its bifurcations in registry with the slots in said shank, and a socket at its opposite end with a wedge slot extending. transversely through it; a stopper rod detachably fitted to said socket, having a wedge slot extending transversely through it in registry with the slot in said socket; and wedges in said slots, rigidly connecting said shank, cou

pling and rod.

4. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper head, of refractory material; of a metallic stopper shank permanently embedded in said head; a coupling, detachably fittedto said shank, having an outwardly lprojecting flange at its end adjacent said cad; and a stopper rod detachably fitted to said coupling.

5. In casting apparatus the combination with a top er head, of refractory material;

.of a meta ic stopper shank permanently embedded in said head; a coupling, detachably fitted to said shank; and a stopperv rod detachably fitted to said cou ling.

6. In casting apparatus, t e combination with a stopper head, of nonmetall-ic, refractory material, suchas graphitic cement; of a substantially flat metallic stopper shank having a cross pin extending transversely through it permanently embedded in said head, so that it cannot be removed without breaking said head, and havin two wedge slots extending through said s ank, at different distances from said head.

7. In casting apparatus, the'com-bination with a stopper head, of refractory-material;

of a substantially flat metallic stop er shank two wedge slots to said socket, having a wedge slot extendhaving-a cross pin permanently em edded in said head, so that it cannot be removed without breaking said head, and havingtwoj through said shank, at dilferent distances from said head.

wedge slots extending 8. In casting apparatus the combinationwith a stopper head, of re ractory material; of a metallic stopper shank permanently embedded in said head; and a coupling detachably fitted to said shank, having an outwardly projecting flange at its end adjacent said head.

9.111 casting; apparatus. the combination with stopper head, of refractory material;

of a metallic stopper shank permanent1y'embedded in said head; and a cross pin, disiiuct from said shank, but extending transversely through' the latter, and permanently embedded in said. head; said; shank being 10 substantially fiat transversely to said pin. In testimony whereof I ave hereunto signed my name at Coatesvilie, Pennsylvania, thisQlst day of November, 1917.

w SAMUEL MQFARLAND. Witnesses:

CHARLES HALLQWELL, 7 PAUL S. STANSBUBY. 

